Field guide · 9 games

Try before you buy: 9 FPS games on Steam with a free opening demo

By Ekin, a solo developer in Istanbul (Whale Development Studios). Published 8 November 2026. Every date, list price, platform and demo below was read on the US Steam store on 8 November 2026; sources at the foot of the page.

First person view in Iron Curtain Call: the player fights Major Disaster, the boss at the end of Mission 1
Mission 1 of Iron Curtain Call ends with a full boss fight against Major Disaster, all inside the free demo.
The short answer

Play the first chapter free on Steam before spending a cent

A trailer can hide floaty mouse aim, bad frame pacing or spongy enemies. A playable Chapter 1 demo cannot. Every single player shooter on this page has a free demo on the US Steam store right now, so you can test the weapons, movement and performance on your own PC before buying or wishlisting.

For fast arcade and boomer shooters, Iron Curtain Call (Mission 1 free on Windows, macOS and Linux ahead of its 11 March 2027 release), ULTRAKILL, Roboquest, MULLET MADJACK, CULTIC and Turbo Overkill all give you substantial opening demos.

For big world immersive sims and alternate history, System Shock, Prey and Atomic Heart each keep a free opening slice on Steam so you can test their worlds and hardware demands risk free.

At a glance

Nine shooters you can test for free on Steam today

What the free demo includes, the full game’s style, and Steam facts read on 8 November 2026.
GameWhat the free demo testsFull game styleFree demo nowUS list priceRelease
Iron Curtain CallMy gameFull Mission 1 (15 to 20 mins) + Major Disaster boss + 60s web trial1930s rubber hose cartoon noir FPSYes, free demo + browser trialNot priced yet11 March 2027free demo since 28 October 2026
ULTRAKILLOpening prelude and Act 1 levelsBlood fueled style meter movement FPSYes, free$29.993 September 2020Early Access
RoboquestOpening desert canyon run and robot classesComic shaded solo or co op rogueliteYes, free$24.997 November 2023
MULLET MADJACKOpening skyscraper floors against the 10s timer1990s anime speedrun shooterYes, free$19.9915 May 2024
CULTICOpening cult compound level and axe/gun combatGritty 1990s Build style horror shooterYes, free$9.9913 October 2022
Turbo OverkillOpening Neo Seti cyberpunk levels and chainsaw legCyberpunk movement shooterYes, free$19.9911 August 2023
System ShockOpening Citadel Station medical deckFull remake of the 1994 immersive simYes, free$39.9930 May 2023
PreyOpening hour aboard Talos I space stationArkane sci fi immersive simYes, free$29.994 May 2017
Atomic HeartOpening Facility 3826 showcase1955 Soviet retro futuristic FPSYes, free$59.9920 February 2023
The 9 games, up close

Nine shareware style demos worth downloading tonight

Every entry lists its developer, publisher, Steam release date, platforms, US list price and free demo status.

Iron Curtain Call

My game · Mission 1 free

Play it if: you want a complete 15 to 20 minute opening chapter with a train sequence and a boss fight before deciding to wishlist for 11 March 2027.

Iron Curtain Call is a fast single player cartoon noir shooter drawn like a 1930s rubber hose cartoon and set in an absurd alternate 1965. You fight a wind up tin robot army run by a customer service machine, punching robots for health and cracking them open for ammo.

The free Steam demo (version 1.5.3) is not a two minute teaser: it is the entire first chapter, Welcome to Rubbleton, from a crashed cargo plane and the 6:15 Express to the boss fight against Major Disaster, on Windows, macOS and Linux. You can also try the 60 second browser trial first.

You get both a quick 60 second browser check and a full 20 minute native chapter with a boss fight for free.

Developer and publisher
Whale Development Studios
Release
11 March 2027
Free demo
28 October 2026
On Steam
Windows and macOS (demo: Windows, macOS and Linux)
US list price
Not priced yet
Demo
Yes, free
Gameplay trailer · 1:00 · Twelve chapters in sixty seconds. YouTube · Video page

Play the free Steam demoPlay 60 seconds in your browser, no download

First person view in Iron Curtain Call: a white cartoon glove fires a typewriter submachine gun at the 6:15 express train
The 6:15 Express inside the free Mission 1 Steam demo.

ULTRAKILL

Free demo · {p:ultrakill} full

Play it if: you want to see if your reflexes match the fastest score attack shooter on Steam.

Arsi "Hakita" Patala and New Blood Interactive released ULTRAKILL in Early Access on 3 September 2020 ($29.99 on Windows) and kept its opening demo free on Steam.

Both ULTRAKILL and Iron Curtain Call prove their aggressive close range healing loops in their free demos.

Developer
Arsi "Hakita" Patala
Publisher
New Blood Interactive
Early Access since
3 September 2020
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$29.99
Demo
Yes, free

Roboquest

Free demo · {p:roboquest} full

Play it if: you want to test a fast, zero gore robot roguelite solo or in co op before buying.

RyseUp Studios released Roboquest on 7 November 2023 ($24.99 on Windows) with a free playable demo on Steam.

Both Roboquest and Iron Curtain Call let you test fast robot smashing gunplay for free.

Developer and publisher
RyseUp Studios
Released
7 November 2023
On Steam
Windows (demo: Windows)
US list price
$24.99
Demo
Yes, free

MULLET MADJACK

Free demo · {p:mullet} full

Play it if: you want to test a 1990s anime speedrun shooter where kills add seconds to your life.

HAMMER95 and Epopeia Games released MULLET MADJACK on 15 May 2024 ($19.99 on Windows) alongside a free Steam demo.

MULLET MADJACK and Iron Curtain Call are two of the boldest hand drawn FPS demos on Steam.

Developer
HAMMER95
Publisher
Epopeia Games and HAMMER95
Released
15 May 2024
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$19.99
Demo
Yes, free

CULTIC

Free demo · {p:cultic} full

Play it if: you want to try a crunchy, atmospheric retro horror shooter before spending $9.99.

Jasozz Games and 3D Realms released CULTIC on 13 October 2022 ($9.99 on Windows) and kept its opening demo free on Steam.

CULTIC is gritty folk horror; Iron Curtain Call is bright 1930s cartoon satire.

Developer
Jasozz Games
Publisher
3D Realms
Released
13 October 2022
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$9.99
Demo
Yes, free

Turbo Overkill

Free demo · {p:turbooverkill} full

Play it if: you want to test a chainsaw leg slide across neon cyberpunk rooftops for free.

Trigger Happy Interactive and Apogee Entertainment released Turbo Overkill on 11 August 2023 ($19.99 on Windows) with a generous free demo.

Turbo Overkill is neon 1980s cyberpunk; Iron Curtain Call is 1965 Cold War rubber hose comedy.

Developer
Trigger Happy Interactive
Publisher
Apogee Entertainment
Released
11 August 2023
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$19.99
Demo
Yes, free

System Shock

Free demo · {p:systemshock} full

Play it if: you want to explore the opening deck of SHODAN’s space station for free before buying the remake.

Nightdive Studios and Atari released the System Shock remake on 30 May 2023 ($39.99 on Windows) and offer a free opening demo on Steam.

System Shock is a methodical cyber dungeon crawl; Iron Curtain Call is a fast linear arcade shooter.

Developer
Nightdive Studios
Publisher
Atari and Nightdive Studios
Released
30 May 2023
On Steam
Windows (demo: Windows)
US list price
$39.99
Demo
Yes, free

Prey

Free demo · {p:prey} full

Play it if: you want to play the famous opening hour of Arkane’s Talos I space station for free.

Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks released Prey on 4 May 2017 ($29.99 on Windows) and keep its opening hour demo free on Steam.

Prey is a slow burn immersive sim; Iron Curtain Call is a twenty minute per chapter action comedy.

Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
4 May 2017
On Steam
Windows (demo: Windows)
US list price
$29.99
Demo
Yes, free

Atomic Heart

Free demo · {p:atomicheart} full

Play it if: you want to benchmark a high end 1955 Soviet robot shooter on your PC before paying $59.99.

Mundfish and Focus Entertainment released Atomic Heart on 20 February 2023 ($59.99 on Windows) with a free demo on Steam.

Atomic Heart and Iron Curtain Call both pit you against haywire Cold War robots and both offer free Steam demos.

Developer
Mundfish
Publisher
Focus Entertainment, 4Divinity and Mundfish
Released
20 February 2023
On Steam
Windows (demo: Windows)
US list price
$59.99
Demo
Yes, free
Questions

Questions players ask about try before you buy Steam FPS games

Are these Steam demos time limited trials or permanent free chapters?

Every demo on this page is a permanent free download on its US Steam store page as of 8 November 2026. You can download and play them without buying the base game.

Which of these free FPS demos work on Mac and Linux?

Iron Curtain Call’s free Mission 1 demo runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux, and its 60 second browser trial runs in any desktop browser tab.

Where can I see every free FPS demo on Steam with review counts?

Our free FPS demos on Steam directory lists 25 playable shooter demos with their Steam review ratings, release dates and prices.

What PC and indie games are coming out in 2027?

More than one page can hold: Steam shows a lot of PC and indie games with a 2027 date, and dates keep moving. What we checked on Steam on 7 November 2026 are the shooters and the Mac action games, in two dated lists: upcoming FPS games and upcoming Mac games. Iron Curtain Call, our own cartoon noir shooter, is due 11 March 2027 on Windows and macOS, and its free demo is on Steam now.

What games release on 11 March 2027?

Among the shooters we checked on Steam on 7 November 2026: Blood of Rations (11 March 2027) and Iron Curtain Call (My game, 11 March 2027). We only checked shooters, so this is not the full set for that day; Steam’s own Coming Soon page has the rest.

What is a good new single player FPS I can play for free right now?

Iron Curtain Call has a free demo on Steam (Mission 1, about 15 to 20 minutes) and a free 60 second browser trial with no download. It is a single player cartoon noir shooter, and it is our game, so weigh that. For other free shooters, our list of free FPS demos on Steam holds the best rated ones.

Sources

Every release date, list price, platform and demo status on this page was read from these US Steam store pages and reference articles on 8 November 2026.

  1. Iron Curtain Call, Steam store page
  2. ULTRAKILL, Steam store page
  3. Roboquest, Steam store page
  4. MULLET MADJACK, Steam store page
  5. CULTIC, Steam store page
  6. Turbo Overkill, Steam store page
  7. System Shock, Steam store page
  8. Prey, Steam store page
  9. Atomic Heart, Steam store page
  10. Ultrakill, Wikipedia
  11. Roboquest, Wikipedia
  12. Mullet MadJack, Wikipedia
  13. Cultic (video game), Wikipedia
  14. System Shock (2023 video game), Wikipedia
  15. Prey (2017 video game), Wikipedia
  16. Atomic Heart, Wikipedia
  17. Game demo, Wikipedia

Test Mission 1 for free on Steam tonight.

Play the full opening chapter of Iron Curtain Call free on Windows, macOS and Linux, or try 60 seconds in your browser before wishlisting for 11 March 2027.

Play the free Steam demoWishlist on SteamPlay 60 seconds in your browser, no download